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It's really all in the title. I know a lot of Fighting-type Pokémon can be taught different elemental punches, there are also a lot of different elemental bites. So I just wondered if it was possible in any of the Pokémon games to manage to cover all types with Super-Effective moves, without using any more than one type yourself. Also, which Pokémon would you have to use if it is possible. I would originally not let duel-types count. But if it's impossible to do without duel-type Pokémon, then I'd be interested to hear how it could be done including duel-types. This is a strictly theoretical question, I just thought it was a fun thing to try and figure out.

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This seems tough to answer.

2 Answers

4 votes
 
Best answer
  • Mew (Psychic + Knock Off + Volt Switch + Dazzling Gleam)
  • Silvally (X Scissor + Iron Head + Poison Fang + Multishot)
  • Arceus (Earthquake + Dragon Claw + Surf + Brick Break)
  • Blissey (Blizzard + Solar Beam + Flamethrower + Rock Slide)
  • Smeargle (Flying/ Ghost type move)

By one type, I assumed each Pokemon can have only one type, in which case, you can get it by the above. This is cheating a bit, using Smeargle to fill the gaps, but with a fully Normal type team, I assume it's still possible by replacing Mew. (Chansey for example, can learn Thunderbolt/Psychic/Fling/Dazzling Gleam). Also, this is obviously one variation, several, SEVERAL different ones exist.

So yeah, between Blissey/Chansey/Silvally/Arceus, you can cover 16 types, Smeargle thrown in can get the remaining two, but really, any normal type can probably do that.

As to being able to catch all of these in one game, legally? Then not counting events, it's impossible as far as I can tell.

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If you have a Mold Breaker Basculin that knows Soak and Hidden Power for Electric, those two moves by themselves are capable of combining for super-effective coverage against almost everything in the game, foiled only by Arceus and Silvally (which are immune to type changes by any means, even from a Mold Breaker user), as well as Primal Groudon (which blocks Soak by means of a weather condition, which exists as a separate entity to the ability that created that weather). Granted, it's not a very strong super-effective hit, and it takes two turns to pull off in most cases, but that just goes to show that "full type coverage" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Of course, Basculin does still have two open moveslots after that, and the best it can do with those to maximize coverage against the remaining holdouts is Superpower + Mud Shot. This takes care of the Primal Groudon case, as well as 10 different types of Arceus and Silvally (including the normal-type version to cover every item except their specialty items).

Since the only holdouts through that are 8 different types of Arceus and Silvally, all of which conveniently only require considering monotype opponents instead of dual-type combos, it's simple enough to concoct a moveset that can cover all 8 super-effectively using just one additional Pokemon. An Octillery with Ice Beam/Thief/Bounce/Sludge Bomb, for example, would fit the bill.

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